Imagine maintaining a beard for months, growing it out to the perfect length of your desire – and one incorrect stroke, it all goes to ruins.
That has happened to bearded men more often than not, as men have made trimming errors to destroy the beard’s symmetry, shape or texture.
So, to reward your patience of carefully grooming and maintaining the beard, I’m here today to warn you about the 10 mistakes men make while trimming their beard!
The 10 Beard Trimming Mistakes Every Guy Makes
Let’s explore the 10 beard trimming mistakes and learn how to avoid them for the sake of your solid beard game for the future!
Mistake #1: Trimming Without a Plan
Sometimes, men start trimming their beard randomly without formulating a solid plan. It results in mismatched sides, uneven lines or even trimming more than you had intended.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- Plan in advance
- Make an outline before diving in with heavy strokes
- Start with bigger guard size to avoid grave errors
- Figure out whether the preferred beard style is precisely the one you want
Mistake #2: Using the Wrong Tools
If you use a zero-gap trimmer for bulk beard removal, or vice-versa; or use dull blades for sharper looks – these might cause uneven cuts, patchy texture, tugs, pulls or even skin irritation.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- Invest in a beard trimmer for your specific needs – like, for stubble or for long beard
- Replace your dull blades regularly
- In case you need to outline your beard, use a pair of scissors to set the baseline
- Clean & maintain your trimmer blades regularly
Mistake #3: Trimming a Wet Beard
Those who think trimming your wet beard is a smart idea – think again! Because a wet beard makes your beard strands look more even and longer.
This will cut your beard more than you had intended. Once the beard dries out, it’ll look bumpy, patchy and not at all something you had desired.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- Well, it’s easy – trim when your beard is dry and natural
- Avoid trimming right after shower
- If you have to wash your beard, dry it thoroughly before trimming
Mistake #4: Neglecting the Neckline
Shaving or trimming the neckline has often been an underappreciated part of beard maintenance.
I’ve seen men who either completely ignore shaving their neck, or they shave so high up that the beard area seems like a floater – something you don’t really want.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- You should find your natural neckline – ideally two fingers above your Adam’s apple
- Start trimming below that line and taper for a smoother transition
- You can avoid tapering if you want a more staggering look
Mistake #5: Ignoring the Cheek Line
These days, some trendy beard styles are adopted by men that overly exaggerate the cheek line. In my opinion, it makes your beard look artificial.
If you don’t want this unnaturally sharp look to appear on your face, you should pay attention to your cheek line instead of ignoring it.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- Start with following your natural hair growth pattern
- Where the beard gets the thinnest, that’s usually where your cheek line should be
- Use an edge up trimmer to clean the area on the other side of your cheek line
- To avoid the artificial look, use a blending trimmer to ease off the sharpness
Mistake #6: Not Maintaining Consistency
Maintaining a solid beard is a long practice and you need consistency to keep it looking neat and tidy.
If you groom your beard occasionally, you might experience uneven beard growth, shape distortion and eventually, it’ll become more challenging to maintain.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- Depending on your beard growth rate, you should at least touch up your beard once every week
- Comb your beard daily
- Keep your beard clean and condition regularly
- Apply beard oil or balm to keep the texture smooth and in shape
Mistake #7: Ignoring Skin and Beard Care
While men focus solely on different trimming styles, techniques and frequencies, they often forget about skin care.
Without proper skin care, your skin might be prone to dryness, start flaking and develop beard dandruff – these eventually lead to a dull look with an itchy skin.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- Build a regular beard cleaning routine with beard shampoo, not generic soap
- Hydrate your skin daily – be that with moisturizer or beard oil
- Once or twice a week, exfoliate your skin
Mistake #8: Over-Styling or Over-Trimming
If you’re someone who’s overzealous about beard maintenance and keeps on trimming or sizing up your beard, it’s not a healthy practice either.
Over-styling or over-trimming is going to thin out your perfect beard, or bald patches might start to form over time.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- Trim less frequently than you feel yourself obligated to
- Learn self-assessment – whether you really need a styling or if it looks neat enough
- Even if you prefer a shorter beard style, let it grow out for a few days before you initiate the following trimming session
Mistake #9: Not Defining the Mustache Properly
In your quest for the perfect and neat beard with all the grooming and maintenance, don’t forget to take care of your mustache as well.
Your mustache is also a part of your beard’s style. An unkempt mustache can flow over your lips, make things look messy and overall ruin the stylistic nature of your beard.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- If you don’t want to spend much, try shaping up using a small scissor
- But for convenience, it’s better to invest into a dedicated mustache trimmer
- Before trimming your mustache, brush it out – either downward or sideways – for greater control
Mistake #10: Ignoring Beard Shape vs. Head Hair
There needs to be a balance between your hairstyle and beard style. Asymmetric looks can seem unnerving – no matter how cool of a beard look you might employ.
Also, consider your head proportion for the overall look you’re going for, assess whether it’ll enhance your style. Otherwise, your beard might seem disconnected from the hair or feel out of place.
The Ways to Avoid it:
- Search on the internet, consult an expert or figure it out yourself – which balance between hair and beard works for you
- Visit a barbershop once every six months for a professional re-alignment
Final Thoughts
You know, trimming your beard is not just about your style, but also, more importantly so, about your self-expression in an artistic way.
The 10 beard trimming mistakes I just pointed out – avoiding them can help you build a look that’s more confident and suits better to your personality.
Not just invest your time in beard maintenance, invest it smartly. With proper tools, techniques and error-free grooming routines, you’ll hear your beard thanking you very soon!